You woke up this morning, ate breakfast (or not), brushed your teeth (I hope so), and decided what to wear.
What causes you to think, feel, and choose? What forces direct your life? Are you simply on automatic pilot?
The answers may seem simple. You feel rested and wake up. You are hungry and eat. You don’t want others backing away from your bad breath, so you brush your teeth.
Or is it that your alarm went off because you were going to work out early? Did you eat in anticipation of getting hungry later? Do you actually enjoy brushing your teeth?
Maybe you couldn’t get back to sleep having been awake since 3:00 am. You ate because fortunately you had food in the cupboard and brushed your teeth so you wouldn’t lose them like your mother.
There are a myriad of reasons explaining why we think what we think, feel how we feel, and choose what we choose.
Consider these simple scenarios and ask yourself, “what made me think, feel, and choose?”
You drove to the office, did your work, and felt satisfied with your accomplishments.
You had an argument, became emotionally drained, and felt bad about the disintegration of your relationship.
You planned a vacation, invested the time, and enjoyed the experience.
You went to sleep, dreamed irrational fantasies, and woke up refreshed.
You set a goal, did what it takes, and accomplished it.
You cared deeply, shared yourself vulnerably, and were rejected.
You questioned the meaning, spoke your mind, and protested the injustice.
You intended to change, put in some effort, and disappointed yourself.
You read a book, got lost in the story, and renewed your hope.
You studied hard, took the test, and coped with the results.
You followed a leader, acted on her advice, and embraced the outcomes.
You exercised diligently, pushed farther than you believed possible, and were pleased with yourself.
Even though your behavior may be unintentional, it is not random. Every day you use your body, mind, and spirit to think, feel, and choose.
What does this mean?
I’m going to jump to a seemingly unrelated topic. Please stay with me!
The Trinity is mysterious to many. How can God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit be one? We shrug our shoulders and write it off as something beyond our understanding.
But the answer is simple. Just as the Trinity is one, our body, mind, and spirit are also one. It is how we were created. There is power when all three are operating well. They feed off one another and empower the others.
God is represented by our mind, Jesus is represented by our body, and the Holy Spirit is represented by our spirit. The Trinity was given to us to understand the three different equally important aspects of ourselves.
Everyone can understand this enormous power. You literally represent the creative power that formed you. It is such a simple truth. Embracing it allows you to reach the full potential within you.
Ignoring it leaves you at a disadvantage.
Just as I am not purely body, or mind, or spirit, neither is the Creator. Each part is equally important. Each part must be understood, nourished, and embraced to be fully alive.
My mind is not the only decision maker. My body and spirit will weigh in too.
My body is not the only one that takes-action. My spirit and mind move too.
My spirit is not the only one that cares. My body and mind do too.
There is great power when all three cooperate with each other.
So Now What?
How can you embrace the three parts of your “trinity” to live fully?
Take care of your body by nourishing it, moving it and giving it rest.
Take care of your mind. Embrace your opinions, connect with others, hold to personal boundaries, and own your life.
Take care of your spirit. Practice faith, gratitude, hope, joy, meaning, purpose, and love.
Some people “workout” to feel good. Others use emotional intelligence to navigate life. And still others rely on their spirituality to guide them.
Those living the best life do all three. They understand the value of their “trinity”. Like a 3-legged stool, if one leg is weak, the other 2 legs need to carry more of the load. Likewise, if one leg does not exist, the stool cannot stand.
What is the value of your body, mind, and spirit? Plenty! You were created in the image of the one who formed the Universe. Within you lies enormous potential. It is not your gender that defines you, but the unique abilities placed within you.
Just as a mountain was created to be majestic, you were created for something too.
Just as a tree was created to give off oxygen and provide a home for birds, you were created for something too.
Just as a star was created to give light, you were created for something too.
We cannot be what we were created for unless we use all three parts of our “trinity”.